After plans to bring a 1,000-foot water slide to Duluth fell through last summer, Slide the City is making a second try at delivering slipping, sliding and splashing to Duluth this fall.
Slide the City, an event that brings massive water slides to cities around the nation, is planning a block party in Duluth on Sept. 10, said Mackena Quinn, a spokeswoman for the Utah-based company that owns Slide the City.
In addition to the blocks-long water slide - slated to be placed on 12th Avenue East between Second Street and London Road - there will be food vendors, music and street entertainers, she said.
Mike Maxim, owner of Dubh Linn Irish Brew Pub and a Greater Downtown Council board member, said the University of Minnesota Duluth contacted him about organizing an outreach event that brings students and the greater community together. Slide the City seemed like a good fit, he said. They considered early spring or fall, Maxim said, and decided September weather had a better chance of being warm enough for a water slide.
"The beginning of September is traditionally pretty balanced and pretty beautiful for the first couple weeks," Maxim said.
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Organizers said they hope Slide the City will become an annual event that draws people from greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin to the Duluth area.
"I'd equate it to the tall ships," Maxim said. "You create this environment where you have everyone, young and old, coming to check it out."
Slide the City had scheduled a Duluth event last summer when plans suddenly fell through. Slide the City officials told the News Tribune last year that there were franchise issues, and also that they did not have enough time to prepare after city permits were granted - though city officials said they were ready to welcome the event to Duluth.
Maxim said the permit for this year's event is still in the stages of gaining approval from the city but should be ready by September.
Quinn offered assurances that the water slide will grace Duluth in September.
"We are so excited that it is coming this year. It will not be canceled," she said.
Slide the City was slated to partner with the Duluth Firefighters Local 101 Operation Warm campaign last year - and that fundraising partnership is planned again this year. The organization provides new winter jackets to Duluth children in need. Jon Otis of Operation Warm said there was some hesitation at working with Slide the City again, after last year's cancellation.
"Last year I was really disappointed at how Slide the City handled things," Otis said. "I was a little nervous to partner with them again."
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But Otis said Slide the City seems more prepared and is further along in the permit process this year. He is hesitatingly optimistic, he said.
"In cities where they've pulled this off, where it's worked, it's worked really well," Otis said.
If Operation Warm can fill 100 volunteer slots for the day of the event, Otis said $7,500 of the proceeds will go toward the charity. Each volunteer slot will be two hours, he said.
"That's what we lost out on last year," Otis said. "That's a pretty big chunk of money for Duluth."
Although Operation Warm missed donations from the canceled event, Otis said the organization still exceeded its fundraising goal of $10,000 because the community picked up the slack.
"I had a lot of people come and offer donations," Otis said. "We (in Duluth) take care of each other."
IF YOU GO
What: Slide the City Duluth
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Where: 12th Avenue East between Second Street and London Road
When: Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: $10-$20 single slide; $45-$65 all-day pass; $25-45 triple-slide pass, all depending on how early the ticket is purchased. Visit slidethecity.com/location/duluth/ for tickets.
